Professional Goal: The purpose of this Mentored-Patient Oriented Career Development proposal is to enhance the research development of Dr. Ann Smith Barnes. In addition to the establishment of a descriptive database of African Americans (AA) successful at weight-loss maintenance, Dr. Smith Barnes will acquire research training at the University of Texas School of Public Health. She will complete academic requirements for a Master's degree in public health and will obtain an understanding of research design, data collection and analysis. Under the mentorship of Dr. Kenneth Goodrick, Dr. Smith Barnes will use the award to broaden general understanding of elements of successful weight-loss maintenance in AA. The support will establish her as a leader in obesity management in minority populations. Specific Aims of African American Weight Control Registry: The project will use focus groups and a cross sectional study design to: a) identify relevant variables for weight loss and maintenance in AA using the theoretical framework of Theory of Planned Behavior; b) using information from focus groups, develop an instrument to assess weight loss and maintenance in AA; c) establish a registry of AA who are successful at weight loss (defined as 10 percent of their body weight) and weight-loss maintenance for (1 year and those who have been successful at weight loss but not maintenance; d)survey individuals selected from the registry to validate the instrument and to compare characteristics of AA who are successful at weight loss and maintenance to AA who are not successful at maintenance. This study will have four stages: I) Focus groups II) Instrument development III) Registry establishment and IV) Psycohometric analysis of the survey instrument and comparison of responses of successful versus unsuccessful weight-loss maintainers. Hypotheses: 1. The three constructs, attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control, will be significantly correlated to intention to adopt weight-loss maintenance practices in AA. 2. Successful weight-loss maintainers will differ from weight re-gainers in the TPB constructs of attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control. Conclusions: This descriptive, comparative study of weight-loss maintainers and re-gainers will provide critical information for development of appropriate weight-loss interventions in AA. Adoption of successful practices in weight-loss maintenance in AA will begin to eliminate disparities in health.